Butterfly's Shadow

In a Japan still rigid with tradition, an apprehensive 15-year-old tea-house girl prepares to welcome her first client. In his gleaming white uniform, Lieutenant Pinkerton walks up the hill to a house in Nagasaki to find the female he has purchased for a few weeks. When he sails away, she waits, aching for his return. It is one of the world’s great love stories. And, as the curtain falls on Madame Butterfly, Cho-Cho hands over her son to his American father, before killing herself...

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Publisher's Summary

In a Japan still rigid with tradition, an apprehensive 15-year-old tea-house girl prepares to welcome her first client. In his gleaming white uniform, Lieutenant Pinkerton walks up the hill to a house in Nagasaki to find the female he has purchased for a few weeks. When he sails away, she waits, aching for his return. It is one of the world’s great love stories. And, as the curtain falls on Madame Butterfly, Cho-Cho hands over her son to his American father, before killing herself... In a daring imaginative leap, Lee Langley takes this searing moment as a springboard, sending Puccini’s characters spinning into a future undreamed of in the original.

I listened to about 75% of this book and then I just stopped. There was no happy in the book, and I didn't care what happened next. The reader was pleasant and did a great job. I don't think it is a bad book, but I found it all depressing with a hopeless feeling. Just not for me.

Beautiful,bittersweet story, of family, loss, and love. Not drama drama drama, just heroic and heartbreaking. The piece gives you a snapshot of WWII, Japan's culture clash with American GI's, and the strength of women. I'd recommend this to anyone, the writing and reader are both very well done. I am amazed I got it for $5, it goes into my favorites pile.

What made the experience of listening to Butterfly's Shadow the most enjoyable?

This is a beautiful, sad, and very plausible story. The author brings us back and forth from Japan to the USA smoothly, and shows us the complex relationships that are formed with WW11 in the background.

What other book might you compare Butterfly's Shadow to and why?

I also enjoyed Shanghai Girls and The Last Train from Hiroshima. It reminds me some of Snow Falling on Cedars.

I have enjoyed this genre and culture before but this book did not reach the level of those previously read. Certainly it is not reasonable to compare it to something like Memoir of a Geisha as it doesn't come close. But it isn't a bad choice.

The characters are developed, but they are not complete in their development. In fact, I think that is where the problem originates. We hear a lot about Cho-Cho, Pinkerton, and Nancy. But none of that was enough. It was not until the end of the story that Joey is featured. And at that point, it really is too late. Each of thse characters could have been the primary focus of the book and it would have been fine. Tryng to make them all the focus dilutes their value.

The narration was adequate. Her Japanese voices were acceptable, but her narration of Pinkerton was awful. It just did not ring true to his character.

And that was another main glitch: what was his charater about? Was he as Shapeless felt: a crass self-centered man? Worthy of either Nancy or Cho Cho's love? Did Nancy even truly love him? There were many fragments not answered by the tale, left hanging.

Overall, it wasn't a bad listen but it certainly could have been a lot better.

It feels unfinished. We learned a lot about the characters but their individual stories didn't really mesh together for me.

In a Japan still rigid with tradition, an apprehensive 15-year-old tea-house girl prepares to welcome her first client. In his gleaming white uniform, Lieutenant Pinkerton walks up the hill to a house in Nagasaki to find the female he has purchased for a few weeks. When he sails away, she waits, aching for his return. It is one of the world’s great love stories. And, as the curtain falls on Madame Butterfly, Cho-Cho hands over her son to his American father, before killing herself... In a daring imaginative leap, Lee Langley takes this searing moment as a springboard, sending Puccini’s characters spinning into a future undreamed of in the original.

If you’ve listened to books by Lee Langley before, how does this one compare?

No, but her performance was good.

Was Butterfly's Shadow worth the listening time?

Yes & no - I listened to it twice but do not think I'll listen again.

Any additional comments?

I bought this on sale and am happy with the purchase. I do not feel it is a good buy at full price or using a credit.

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